


A Real Fine Place to Start

by ThatBohoFemme



Series: I Believe in a Thing Called Love [1]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Conversations, Crushes, F/M, First Date, Fluff, Holding Hands, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 00:22:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13558728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatBohoFemme/pseuds/ThatBohoFemme
Summary: Despite his gruff exterior, Elias had actually felt bad for his bad attitude and their earlier disagreement. As soon as their matches were over and they were free to leave, he had invited her to an ‘I’m sorry I was a butthead’ dinner.  He’d surprised her by taking her to a small bistro with amazing food and even better wine. A triple chocolate dessert topped off the experience. Bayley had to admit- he definitely knew how to win a girl over.





	A Real Fine Place to Start

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamlikemusings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamlikemusings/gifts).



Bayley can’t quite believe the night she’s had. 

Despite his gruff exterior, Elias had actually felt bad for his bad attitude and their earlier disagreement. As soon as their matches were over and they were free to leave, he had invited her to an ‘I’m sorry I was a butthead’ dinner. He’d surprised her by taking her to a small bistro with amazing food and even better wine. A triple chocolate dessert topped off the experience. Bayley had to admit- he definitely knew how to win a girl over. 

Also, if she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn they were on a date. 

They’ve left the restaurant and are wandering, exploring while walking off the effects of the wine. Bayley can’t help but stare at her grumpy tag team partner. She doesn’t normally crush on moody bad boys and yet, here she was smitten with _Elias_ , who was definitely a moody bad boy. 

“If you tell anyone what I’m about to say, I _will_ deny it.” Elias talks as he walks. “Thank you for a good night.” He says something else but mumbles so badly that Bayley can’t make it out. 

“Repeat please,” she says, staring at Elias with a bemused look. She waits before reaching up and gently squeezes his shoulder in encouragement. 

“I said...” Elias mumbles again. Finally, he stops walking, heaves an exaggerate sigh and faces Bayley. “I said... _I had fun_.” 

Bayley doesn’t know what to say to that. Of all the things he could have said, that is the last thing she ever expected he would say. In her mind, Elias would be more likely to admit he’s an alien than telling her he enjoyed spending time with her. 

She doesn’t think Elias is a _bad_ person. He’d proven that over dinner by being perfectly lovely to talk to. She knows he just doesn’t like people getting close. 

“Well?” Elias looks more annoyed than usual. “What do you have to say?” 

“You know, for you, that was _surprisingly_ sweet.” Bayley smirks, enjoying the way Elias squirms and flushes pink. 

“And I’m getting tooth rot just thinking about it so... moving on.” He spins around on his heel to turn the opposite direction. Bayley can’t help noticing he’s gone from a faint pink flush to a deep red. 

“Wait!” she calls, catching his hand from walking away. “Thank you for an _amazing_ night. I had a great time.” 

His fingers squeeze back, just for a beat. “Literally, don’t mention it. I have a reputation to uphold. Think Cena would fear me if he knew I was as sweet on you as he is on Nikki?” 

Bayley stops so quickly that she practically trips over her feet. She pauses, mentally going over what he had said. The little voice in the back of her head starts screaming. 

_He said he was sweet on me! That means he likes me. LIKES ME!_

Bayley knows she shouldn’t be excited and yet, she is. There could really be something here. Then again, this might also be the wine talking. She doesn’t know. She chooses to hope for the best. 

Elias clears his throat, his gaze drifting down to their still twined hands. 

It takes Bayley a second to realize they’re still effectively holding hands. 

“Oh sorry.” Bayley pulls her hand back, smothering a smile. “We should do this again. Dinner. Wine. Dessert. It’ll be a good time to go over match strategies.” 

“Lincoln tomorrow?” Elias asks, jamming his hands into his pockets as if he doesn’t know what else to do with them. He stares at the cracked sidewalk. “Also- match strategies? It that what the kids are calling it these days?”

_He asked me out on a date! A real date! Elias ‘I hate everyone’ Samson just asked me out on a real date!_

Her inner teenage girl is screaming gleefully at the attention from her crush. 

“Yep.” Bayley smirks, staring up at the taller man. She resists the urge to giggle like a lovesick school girl. 

“To which question?” Elias cocks his head in confusion. 

“Both.” She grins mischievously. 

Whatever _this_ is, it’s off to a beautiful start. 

Bayley couldn’t be happier. 

-Fin-

**Author's Note:**

> Based off a prompt from Tumblr Blog The-Modern-Typewriter:  
> “You know, for you, that was surprisingly sweet.”  
> “And I’m getting tooth rot just thinking about it, so. Moving on.”  
> They caught the other’s hand to stop them from walking away. “Thank you.”  
> The fingers squeezed back, just for a beat. “Literally don’t mention it - I have a reputation to uphold.”  
> They smothered a smile. Realised about minute later that they were still effectively holding hands.


End file.
